Vettel, Hamilton again among 50 Most Marketable Sports Figures

Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton are once again listed among the top 50 most marketable sports stars. This encompasses all sports. Sebastian was #8 and Lewis #12 most marketable in 2012 according to Sportspromedia (a sports website dedicated to marketing and sponsorship concerns). The drivers are down from 2011 tallies which had Sebastian at #7 and Lewis at #5.

Readers should note that the list is created mid year, so it takes the previous season and the beginning of the latest one into consideration. When this one was done, Sebastian was double champion, but his prospects for 2012 looked slimmer than in previous years, due to the less than stellar performance of the Red Bull at that point - hence a small drop. Lewis had come off of a comparatively poor performance in 2011 (as compared to years before), but things were looking up for him in 2012; hence a drop, but not too steep. Sebastian obtained the Ambassadorial role for Infiniti - personal sponsorship, so that would be taken into account, as would any other sponsorship these two drivers obtained.

Many other factors are taken into consideration as motivators for increased sponsorship interest and overall marketability. For example, if it is an olympic year, you will see more olympians. If there are other major sporting events on the horizon, those competing (and thus hot marketing prospects) will be included. General factors like character likability, continued success over a period of time, the visibility and pervasiveness of the sport, and many other factors impacting marketability are also taken into account.

How accurate are they? Who knows - but one thing is certain, the entire top 20 are incredibly marketable in the years cited, lol. There may be other F1 stars among the 50 - I didn't look through the entire list, so feel free to point them out if you come across them.

Quite surprised at Vettel being ahead of Hamilton. I thought it was widely accepted that Hamilton was more marketable. When he came into F1 people thought he would surpass Tiger Woods as the most paid sportstar. Okay his success hasn't been stellar but he has does tonnes of PR for McLaren's sponsors and you see him on way more adverts than Vettel. Vettel in comparison does little PR because Red Bull is just the one company.

Obviously slanted with a North American perspective, as for the number of 'football' players that people in Europe wouldn't know from anyone else in the street or hockey players for that matter... In Europe Michael Schumacher, even though he's no longer in F1 would be far more marketable than a good 75% of this list, as would howevermany footballers notjust the 'soccer'players mentioned!

It's a European published magazine. And even if it was American they'd still have a point, big names in America are big endorsement business. They often feature in the highest paid sportspeople worldwide.

Eh? They don't think Rossi has endorsement demand? And no Alonso? There mere association with Ferrari should put him on the list.

from the article:"As ever, the key tenet of this list is the search for value for money. As such, the likes of Roger Federer, David Beckham, Peyton Manning and Serena Williams – global household names and hugely marketable individuals – are not included in the rankings as the cost of an endorsement with them is likely to be at its peak, with its value, indeed, on the wane."..."Home market appeal, too, is a ruling factor, one which saw the omission of Formula One’s Fernando Alonso. Although no less of a driver, Alonso’s stock may well yet suffer, in the same way motorsport in general has done in Spain, under eurozone austerity, while marketers will likely be looking to the up-and-coming Sergio Perez, a potential teammate of Alonso if his widely tipped move to Ferrari materialises, to fly the Hispanic flag in the coming years."

Quite surprised at Vettel being ahead of Hamilton. I thought it was widely accepted that Hamilton was more marketable. When he came into F1 people thought he would surpass Tiger Woods as the most paid sportstar. Okay his success hasn't been stellar but he has does tonnes of PR for McLaren's sponsors and you see him on way more adverts than Vettel. Vettel in comparison does little PR because Red Bull is just the one company.

Lewis surpass Tigers Woods in earnings? That would have been impossible! Back then I did not think anyone would have surpassed Tiger at least not before his scandal. Not many people can make in excess of $100m a year. Golf is bigger and richer and has a bigger impact world wide than F1 and most importantly in USA. So no Lewis wont be highest paid sportsman anytime soon.

from the article:"As ever, the key tenet of this list is the search for value for money. As such, the likes of Roger Federer, David Beckham, Peyton Manning and Serena Williams – global household names and hugely marketable individuals – are not included in the rankings as the cost of an endorsement with them is likely to be at its peak, with its value, indeed, on the wane."...

I thought that was a cop out. The best judge of value for money on these deals is the people signing the checks. And they're still going to Rooney/Federer/etc.

North America, I think, especially the US. What I heard from family (who don't particularly care for F1) is that Red Bull is quite popular (with Tom Cruise trying their car and DC racing in Austin) and so Sebastian is promoted quite aggressively there. This is in comparison to other front-running drivers who may suffer from the NASCAR vs F1 competition.

I think Sebastian is also quite popular in Asia as well. Suzuka is his favourite circuit, and he has traditionally done well on most Asian races. Add that to his praise for India and Singapore, just makes him more marketable here. Personally I have seen more Ferrari and Red Bull fans in Singapore as compared to McLaren, Lotus or Mercedes.

It's a European published magazine. And even if it was American they'd still have a point, big names in America are big endorsement business. They often feature in the highest paid sportspeople worldwide.

I understand the financial side of it, but it only applies if it's in a suitable marketplace... there is no value formoney in sticking a relatively obscure ice hockey or American football player (from a worldwide perspective) on any advert in the UK or indeed many other parts of the world as it will have no benefit to the company paying the bill, hence the slant towards the North American side of things, big business over there but over here?

Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton are once again listed among the top 50 most marketable sports stars. This encompasses all sports. Sebastian was #8 and Lewis #12 most marketable in 2012 according to Sportspromedia (a sports website dedicated to marketing and sponsorship concerns). The drivers are down from 2011 tallies which had Sebastian at #7 and Lewis at #5.

Readers should note that the list is created mid year, so it takes the previous season and the beginning of the latest one into consideration. When this one was done, Sebastian was double champion, but his prospects for 2012 looked slimmer than in previous years, due to the less than stellar performance of the Red Bull at that point - hence a small drop. Lewis had come off of a comparatively poor performance in 2011 (as compared to years before), but things were looking up for him in 2012; hence a drop, but not too steep. Sebastian obtained the Ambassadorial role for Infiniti - personal sponsorship, so that would be taken into account, as would any other sponsorship these two drivers obtained.

Many other factors are taken into consideration as motivators for increased sponsorship interest and overall marketability. For example, if it is an olympic year, you will see more olympians. If there are other major sporting events on the horizon, those competing (and thus hot marketing prospects) will be included. General factors like character likability, continued success over a period of time, the visibility and pervasiveness of the sport, and many other factors impacting marketability are also taken into account.

How accurate are they? Who knows - but one thing is certain, the entire top 20 are incredibly marketable in the years cited, lol. There may be other F1 stars among the 50 - I didn't look through the entire list, so feel free to point them out if you come across them.

I understand the financial side of it, but it only applies if it's in a suitable marketplace... there is no value formoney in sticking a relatively obscure ice hockey or American football player (from a worldwide perspective) on any advert in the UK or indeed many other parts of the world as it will have no benefit to the company paying the bill, hence the slant towards the North American side of things, big business over there but over here?

I don't think it's the 'most worldwide marketable sportspeople' but the 'mot marketable sportspeople, worldwide'. So being big in America is going to be the equivalent of being big in Europe, if not bigger. From a financial perspective. And possibly audience too. When you consider there are few sports/TV shows/etc that will be popular all across Europe.

I have seen Vettel's name in headlines of papers in Asia, just as much as in EU. Vettel is where RB is, and I am failing to see better platform to carry his name globally at the moment. Whether he has a contract with Hugo Boss or similar outlets I am not sure, but that was not a topic of this thread.

I have a 2012 Japanese Casio Watch Collection Vol.1 catalogue, the Edifice section has both Mark and Sebastian (kissing a trophy), some helmeted team members and a guy holding a pitboard, all the same size. in it, not really a big thing but a little marketing I suppose..

Exactly .. He came to the US with RedBull and no one knew anything about it. Vettel who?

My family lives in a different part of the US then. He is known well enough in New Jersey. Not more popular than NASCAR drivers, though.

I have seen Vettel's name in headlines of papers in Asia, just as much as in EU. Vettel is where RB is, and I am failing to see better platform to carry his name globally at the moment. Whether he has a contract with Hugo Boss or similar outlets I am not sure, but that was not a topic of this thread.

Yup, with Red Bull having connections to Thailand, it is unsurprising the drink is popular here. And Sebastian will just be marketable because he is the WDC with RBR.

I have a 2012 Japanese Casio Watch Collection Vol.1 catalogue, the Edifice section has both Mark and Sebastian (kissing a trophy), some helmeted team members and a guy holding a pitboard, all the same size. in it, not really a big thing but a little marketing I suppose..

I see both faces most often in 7-eleven shops on cans of Red Bull. But other than that, Casio and Geox also feature them heavily. I have even seen them in an optics shop before (sponsoring sunglasses), though that may be a one-off.